It has been my devotion to visit the mountain nearby and listen to the wisdom there.  One winter-ends day, I sat on my cushion and listened.  My physical ears could hear a faint crinkle, seeping sound.  I realized I was hearing the already thin ice in the winter sun melting into the thawing earth.

I stayed still to listen.  Then I heard this counsel: I can let the water that is seeping into the earth itself, also nourish My roots.  This seems like vital news on this day when winter has made me thin in longing for growth, change, and visible fruit of my labor.

After sharing these thoughts with a fellow traveler, the insights multiplied to include further aspects of our being.  The insights are based on a 5 element understanding of our constitutions.  Here is the summary:

The water that is seeping through the earth to my roots, feeds them which in turn feed the wood of my being.  The wood grows, allowing the fire to burn stronger and safer,  revealing the true metal within me.

At the end of this long winter, with shiftings within ourselves, our communities and the Earth  I welcome rediscovering my own elements within.